Paul, Southland Tales is definitely worse, but The Box was just so so many ideas in search of some cohesion. Going off in absurd directions when it would've been so much better if he had kept it simpler.

Going off in absurd directions when it would've been so much better if he had kept it simpler.

I think that's what I so admire about Kelly, because he's prepared to take risks. I'd rather a film aim high and fall short of its mark than aim low and achieve it. Donnie Darko is no doubt his best film - I'd almost call it perfect. It seems to me that The Box aims to have some of the appeal of that film, but he's definitely shied away from playing it safe.

I think there's a definite line between being ambitious and then just being outright ridiculous and The Box crossed that line whereas Donnie Darko straddled it so perfectly. Darko always felt cohesive and like that was the movie it was supposed to me, unlike The Box (and, yes, Southland Tales), which felt like a whole lotta things thrown together and trying to pass itself off as being intended.

Besides, there's a big difference between playing it safe and keeping it simple. He can be as out there as he likes, but if the film stops making even a lick of sense and becomes a load of silly hodgepodge there's no point to it. The Box could have been just as effective and as complex without at least half the excess garbage he tacked on to it.

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